The Dance
by katie1999
Summary: NWZ This takes place during the party at the end of the episode "Conundrum". I have included some parts of "Conundrum" and "Discovery" into it.
1. Chapter 1

**The Dance**

_This take places at the end of the episode Conundrum._

__Disclaimer: This story was written solely for the enjoyment of other Zorro fans and is not intended to infringe on any copyrights held by Goodman/Rosen Productions, New World Television, Zorro Productions, the estate of Johnston McCulley or anyone else.__

**Chapter 1**

_Start of Transcript Episode Conundrum_

_The party was already in full swing when Diego, Felipe, and Don Alejandro walked inside the tavern. The tavern was crowded with joyous people who were dancing to the music. Mendoza greeted Diego when he entered the tavern and grabbed him by the arm. Unnoticed by Mendoza Diego grimaced with pain when Mendoza squeezed his wounded arm. _

"_Zorro was magnificent. You should have been there." _

_Mendoza exclaimed enthusiastically,_

"_So I've heard, Sergeant." said Diego as Mendoza pretended to imitate Zorro's sword fight._

"_Quite a party, huh?" Don Alejandro added joyously as Victoria walked past him._

_Victoria stopped and turned around.  
>"And the Alcalde has agreed to pay every centavo." <em>

_de Soto wiped his face with his handkerchief.  
>"Yes, as a matter of fact, I have. I think we all need to let off a little steam. You all know how personally close I came to death. " <em>

_When Felipe started to dance with a young woman, Don Alejandro pointed at them and clapped._

_Mendoza added, "Me, too. If it wouldn't have been for Zorro. . ."_

_"Sergeant, if it weren't for Zorro, we wouldn't have come so close to hanging in the first place." _

_Victoria who came up beside de Soto chided him.  
>"Oh, come on, Alcalde. It's a celebration. Can't you bury the hatchet with Zorro just for one night?" <em>

_de Soto stuffed his handkerchief up his sleeve.  
>"You're quite right, Senorita. This is a joyous occasion. May I have the honor of this dance?" <em>

_Diego quickly came up behind de Soto.  
>"Pardon me, alcalde, but the senorita promised this dance to me." <em>

_He went over and lead Victoria out to dance who smiled up at him._

_"The Alcalde will bury the hatchet all right." said Diego as they danced away. _

_"Yes, right on Zorro's head." she replied._

_End of Transcript Episode Conundrum_

Diego felt happy holding Victoria in his arms while he tried to ignore the constant throbbing in his arm. He had bandaged his arm before he came to the party, but because of Mendoza's hard grip the wound had reopened again and he felt blood drizzle along his arm. Victoria's hand lay lightly on his shoulders well above his wound for what he was grateful. They continued to dance and Diego noticed with horror the dark stain that was beginning to show on his jacket. Also Victoria's white blouse was getting red where it was soaking blood from his arm. He started to think frantically. He couldn't let the blood on him be discovered or the alcalde would find out that he was Zorro.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Slowly he started to dance towards the bar so that they were ending their dance there.

"Dancing makes one thirsty," he said and reached for one of the mugs on the bar. Clumsily he tipped over one bottles of wine spilling the red liquid all over Victoria's white blouse and her red skirt.

Shocked Victoria looked down at herself, where the wine was dripping to the floor from her clothes, and then at Diego.

"Diego, what have you done," she exclaimed. "My dress, it is full of red wine. It's ruined!" Tears were standing in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Victoria," Diego said very remorsefully. "It is really a nice dress, but maybe you can save it. I'll get you a new one. But my own suit isn't in a better condition."

He pointed at his suit where splashes of red wine could be seen on his white shirt and his jacket.

Victoria went up the stairs and headed for her room. Quickly she changed her clothes and then she went to her washstand. From the pitcher she poured water into the bowl and reached for her stained blouse. She examined the stains that the wine had left there, when she noticed a difference. Under her left arm there was a dark red patch of fresh blood. She examined her left arm for some hidden scratches but there was nothing.

This wasn't her blood. That got her thinking. Her blouse had been clean so it must have happened during the dance. But how did it get under her arm? Her arm had been supported by Diego's during the dance. This must Diego's blood on her blouse. But why was her blouse soaking blood from his arm and why didn't he say something about such a severe wound? She nearly wouldn't have seen it between dots from the wine if she hadn't looked closely at the stains. The wine nearly concealed it. The wine. It was Diego who had spilled the wine over her and himself. What if he had done it on purpose to hide his bloody arm? To make her change? What did he have to hide that he couldn't admit being injured today?

Slowly she sat down on her bed, staring at the blood stained blouse in her hand and thought of the events of the day. She had seen Diego in the tavern talking with his father and then Diego and Felipe had left together. Alejandro had shown her that infamous letter that Risendo had given him and then there had been the commotion because of Zorro. Zorro had freed Toronado and then he had fought with Risendo on the roof. There had been a shot and Zorro had gone down on the roof and then Risendo had fallen to his death while Zorro had escaped. There was only one person except for Risendo who had been injured today and that was Zorro. If Diego was wounded now then Diego must be Zorro!

Diego! She had to talk to him. She rushed through the door and looked at the gathered crowd searching for Diego. At last she spotted him heading for the door.

"Diego," she shouted through the tavern. "I have to talk to you. Don't you dare leave like this."

Everybody turned their heads to look first at her and then at Diego who had turned around at her call. Surprised he looked at her and headed towards her through the dancers who made space for him.

Victoria went down the stairs. "We'll talk in the kitchen," she said in an angry voice pointing to the curtain. "And the rest of you should better stay out."

The alcalde couldn't hide his gloating when Diego passed him by. "Now you're in for a scolding from the senorita. I wish you luck."

Obediently Diego followed Victoria through the curtain.

"I'm really sorry, Victoria," he started, but she interrupted him.

"Don't say a thing, I know what you have done." She moved closer and pointed at the dark stain on his arm. "That's blood, isn't it?"

He stared at her, thinking what to say, but then he nodded.

"You were shot by a lancer when you freed Toronado today."

"Yes." There wasn't anything else to say. She had looked through his disguise.

"You spilled the wine intentionally over us to hide the blood stains on my blouse."

"I couldn't think of anything else at that moment. Forgive me?" He looked intently in her eyes waiting for her reaction. He remembered the last time when Zorro had been asking her forgiveness after he had robbed her. How would she react now?

"Always," she replied, as she had the last time. And her eyes were full of love.

"It was you." She raised her right arm as if to hit him on the chest, but he intercept her and gripped her by the wrist. "All those years and I never saw you," she whispered.

Tenderly he started to trail the inside of her arm and her neck with kisses and with his other hand he slowly drew her in a tight embrace.

"You should go on with your scolding," he said in a low voice, never breaking eye contact. "Then we won't be disturbed."

"I can't," she whispered to his lips before they kissed.

When the music stopped outside, they broke apart. "I must go and change my suit now, before any one else figures it out."

"Will you come back to the party?"

"Only if you let me hold you in my arms and grant me another dance."

"I can't wait."

When he left the kitchen, Diego tried to look sheepish, which was hard, when he had never felt so happy in his life. Victoria's reactions was not what he had anticipated, and he had to admire her cleverness to draw the right conclusions in such a short time.

"Don't think you're off the hook so easily, Don Diego," Victoria called after him from the kitchen again in an angry voice that would have deceived even him if they hadn't kissed moments before. "You owe me another dance, Don Diego."

A short time later he returned again, this time totally changed in a dark brown suit and another white ruffled caballero shirt. Victoria was surprised he came back so soon, but then she remembered that he must have a lot of experience in quickly changing his clothes.

Diego waited for the music to play a slow tune, until he asked Victoria for her dance.

When he lead her to the dance floor, neither of them said very much. What they wanted to talk about, they couldn't in public, and for the other things they needed no words, only some concealed looks. He held her much tighter than he would have otherwise, bending the borders of propriety as far as it still went unnoticed from the outside.

Victoria put her hand only very lightly on his shoulder, carefully avoiding his hurt arm. He couldn't comment, but squeezed her other hand thankfully for her efforts. Except for this dance Diego danced no more, ignoring the hopeful looks of other potential dance partners.

"I have lost my taste for dancing tonight," he replied, when his father tried to urge him to another dance and pointed out some other women to him. "It is enough that I Victoria is cross with me, I 'd better avoid other incidences." He could hardly tell his father that he had to take care that his injured arm wasn't discovered from anybody else.

He would have liked to dance with Victoria much more, but they had to avoid to attract attention, when Victoria was supposed to be angry with him. She was a better actor than he had thought and kept convincingly to her role for the rest of the evening. So she appeared to be reluctant when he asked her for the last dance for the night.

"Are you still cross with me, Victoria?" he asked her aloud. "I promise I'll get you another dress." Inaudible for the others he added, "White is the color that suits you." She started to blush knowing he was referring to a wedding gown. She was glad that it was a lively dance that put some color in her face.

There was no reason he could linger after the party ended without raising suspicions and he had to accompany his father and Felipe home.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

They only met again the next day when the de la Vegas drove into town with the dead body of Risendo.

Victoria looked concerned when she came over from her porch to meet with them.

_Start of Transcript Episode Discovery_

_Victoria looked over sadly at Don Alejandro.  
>"I heard what happened. I'm so sorry."<em>

_Don Alejandro added,  
>"It's hard to gain a son and then lose him all in the same hour." <em>

_"Gilberto was suckled on vengeance. I wish I had known him as a brother and not as an enemy." Diego said _

_Victoria looked over at Diego  
>"Perhaps if he would had a different life, you could have been proud of him instead, Diego" <em>

_Diego nodded as Don Alejandro. Diego then got a strange look on his face. _

"_There is something I have been meaning to tell you all for quite some time." _

_Victoria looked at him with a confused expression. _

"_Now would seem an appropriate moment. Felipe, with your permission." _

_[Felipe looks at him with worried confusion.] _

"_I. . . I. . . am . . .going to adopt Felipe. He's to be a member of our family." _

_Victoria laughed happily. _

_Don Alejandro smiled broadly.  
>"This is wonderful news." He hugged Felipe who grinned. "This is wonderful news." He let go of Felipe. "I now have two sons. The de la Vegas will never be divided. Never." <em>

_Felipe let out a sigh of relief as Victoria giggled. Diego exhaled and smiled. _

_Don Alejandro got a strange look on his face.  
>"Diego, there's something that's been gnawing inside of me." <em>

"_Father, there is something I've been meaning to tell you for quite some time. Felipe, Victoria, if you will excuse us for a moment." _

_He held out his hand and lead Don Alejandro away. Victoria went over to stand next to Felipe, who looked worried. Victoria looked over at him and he waved his hands then shrugged. _

"_Do you remember when Gilberto was just about to shoot you, he said he was not only going to kill you, he was going to kill. . . " He stopped and turned to face Diego. "Then he never finished. What do you suppose he was going to say?"_

_End of Transcript Episode Discovery_

Diego started to say something but then he stopped looking around at the people walking across the plaza.

"I think we'd better talk about it when we are back at the hacienda. I want to invite Victoria to dinner, then I don't have to repeat myself." Then he pointed out to the private who had been ordered to take away Risendo's body. "I think you are needed at the wagon, father. Please excuse me, I want to talk to Victoria."

"What happened today?" she asked Diego while Don Alejandro walked over to the wagon. "I heard you were fighting with Risendo and that the alcalde killed him. What else was there?"

She looked at his bloodied arm. "Come to the tavern and I'll have a look at that while you tell me about today."

She led him into the tavern while Alejandro drove Risendo's body to the cuartel. After they entered the tavern, Victoria locked the door behind her, since the tavern was still closed for siesta.

"Remove your shirt, I want to look at that wound." She urged him to sit down at one of the benches while she gathered everything she needed to treat his injury.

Diego was too weary to argue and simply did as she requested. Victoria blanched when she examined his arm. "You have been fighting with that? How can you even move your arm?"

"I didn't fight with that arm. I used my left hand. Luckily my fencing master insisted that I had to be proficient with both hands. My father saw me fighting, he got suspicious about my fencing abilities."

"Anyone would if you were able to beat a good swordsman as Risendo with your left hand only."

He closed his eyes and hissed in pain when Victoria cleaned the wound with alcohol before she bandaged it again. In the meantime she tried to distract him with her questions.

"What about the truce that Risendo offered Zorro? Did you go to the canyon?"

"It was a trap. Risendo had an explosion prepared that caused a landslide."

"But you escaped."

"No, I was buried under it."

Shocked Victoria interrupted her bandaging and looked at him, her face totally white.

"How did you survive?"

"I don't know. I got out with Toronado's help and very much luck. I arrived just in time before Risendo could kill my father. Risendo found out that I was Zorro. I didn't know what to do. If he had survived, he would have revealed it and then I'd be dead. But I knew I couldn't kill him, Risendo was right. Inside me I felt that he was my brother."

He sounded weary and lost.

She braced herself against his naked shoulders when he drew her lips down to his. They kissed hungrily savoring each moment.

"It was a terrible day. I thought I wouldn't make it." He drew her down until she was sitting on his lap and hugged her in a tight embrace. She felt his hot skin through her shirt. "I need to feel you in my arms to know that I'm still alive. We need to talk where we won't be disturbed. Will you come to dinner to the hacienda tonight?"

She nodded her agreement and he continued. "I promised my father to talk to him tonight and I will tell him that I'm Zorro. All that I'll tell him, I want you to know as well. After these last days I cannot go on like before. Maybe the alcalde has finally had an insight and has a turn for the better after he talked to the padre. Then we can leave Zorro buried under that rock and get married."

"I'd like that very much, Diego. I think we have waited long enough." They kissed passionately until they heard Alejandro calling from the back door of the tavern.

"Diego, Victoria, are you in there?"

Alejandro looked surprised when he saw his son standing half dressed in Victoria's tavern buttoning up his shirt.

"Victoria bandaged my arm." Diego explained to his father. "She saved me the visit to Dr. Hernandez."

Alejandro looked unconvinced but didn't comment. "Has Diego invited you to dinner tonight? We'd be happy if you came."

"I'm looking forward to it." Victoria answered. "After all that happened there is much to talk about."

"You're right, Victoria. There will be much to talk about." Alejandro sighed at little. "But we must be on our way now."

"We'll see you at dinner, Victoria," Diego added who had finished with his shirt now. As Victoria looked at him inquiringly, unsure how to act in front of his father, he decided he no longer wanted to act any more when only his family was present.

With a hand he caressed her right cheek while he placed a short and tender kiss on the other. "I'm looking forward to it too."

With his mischievous grin that she knew so well from Zorro, he left the kitchen ignoring his father's bewildered look at this intimate gesture.

"He will have a lot to explain. I hope he is up to it." Alejandro grimaced and followed after his son.


	4. Chapter 4

Epilogue

The evening held many surprises for Alejandro even when he had already guessed that his son was Zorro. The engagement to Victoria was one of those and it brought back a smile on his face that had been gone after he found out about Risendo. Another was the revelation of the secret cave that had been right under his nose and last not least he was happy for Felipe that he could hear and would eventually start talking again.

The day that had nearly ended so horribly for all had finally come to a good end, the family united with the prospect of a marriage in the very near future.


End file.
